Favorite Business School Professors Of Best & Brightest MBAs

Mind-numbing. Baffling. Overwhelming.

A punishment too.

Debits and Credits. Fixed and variable. Assets and liabilities. Accounting is like learning a new language – only it relies on Mandarin-like strokes and characters instead of letters and words. And every rule is seemingly contradicted by another too. No wonder students dread it – and graduates delegate it.

That begs the question: How can you possibly teach accounting in business school – and make it fun and unforgettable in the process?

Maybe take inspiration from a potato?

That’s what Dr. Ryan Ball – or Po Tato – did. A Clinical Professor of Accounting at the University of Michigan’s Ross School, Ball is a five-time recipient of the school’s Neary Teaching Excellence Award. When COVID hit – and knowing accounting was doubly difficult to teach online – he decided to don a persona on screen: an animated talking potato head. Not did this attention-grabber peel away all pretenses, but his TikTok mashes turned “Professor Potato” into a viral celebrity.

Maybe Ball should be teaching marketing!

TEACHING IPOS THROUGH ANIMALS

To pull this off, a professor needs more substance than flash. In his Corporate Financial Reporting course, Ball’s clever hook was just the beginning, says Mark O’Connell, a 2025 Poets&Quants Best & Brightest MBA grad.

“’[It] gave me incredible insights into reading company 10Ks and “peeking behind the curtain.” I will fully admit that reading 10Ks is a bland topic that you wouldn’t imagine to be an engaging classroom experience, but Professor Ball made it surprisingly fun. I vividly remember him taking us through a case study he had experienced “out in the world” where he was a lead advisor for a hedge fund on Twitter’s IPO, and he asked us to value Twitter using their pre-IPO financial statements.”

In fact, Ball’s potato persona was just one extension of his inventive ways of conveying concepts so they would always stick. In this case, Ball connected animal behavior with investor psychology to explain the perils of IPOs.

“He then explained to us that tech IPO investors can be distracted by hype and inflated expectations, O’Connell adds. “His chosen way to explain this was by telling a lengthy anecdote comparing IPO investors to seals being hunted by orcas in a Planet Earth documentary – every time there’s an IPO, tech investors (or “seals” in this case) come “back to the water” to invest, even though they know that they are liable to get crushed on the investment and will “be eaten by orcas.” Throughout the entire case study, Professor Ball was reenacting seal claps and making whale noises. Never in a thousand years would I have imagined that I would have the opportunity to watch Professor Potato make whale noises while describing an important business concept, and it cemented Professor Ball as my favorite professor at Ross.”

WHAT MAKES A GREAT PROFESSOR

In business, there is rarely one set template for success. The same principle applies to the classroom. Still, while some professors may take their teaching in unconventional paths, they’ve often nailed down the fundamentals long before. In business school, you’ll hear MBAs return to the same themes. The best professors breathe life into topics that feel dull and simplify concepts that seem too big or complicated. They don’t accept surface-level gut instincts, instead pushing students to wade into the data sets to identify the patterns and connections. In the process, their pupils come to see the world in an entirely different way – and gain the confidence to turn their ideas into initiatives. All the while, they never let MBAs forget the human side – the communication, consistency, and collaboration – that cements business success.

In the end, these professors’ legacies are less the papers they publish and more the future leaders they’ve molded to think bigger, dig deeper, and start sooner.

Every year, P&Q asks its Best & Brightest MBAs and MBAs to Watch candidates to name their favorite professors in business school – the ones who put service and support at the forefront of their teaching. Like previous years, you’ll again find distinguished faculty like Cornell Johnson’s Risa Mish, MIT Sloan’s Bill Aulet, and Texas McCombs’ John Doggett among the list. In addition, the list includes many newcomers whose commitment, creativity, and overall excellence set the bar for academia. From Alliance Manchester to the Yale School of Management, here are the faculty members who stood apart according to top MBAs from the top business schools.

“Mike Arundale taught us the Not-for-Profit Project. He helped me build fundamental skillsets in how to do consulting, giving me the tools to solve big business issues. He embedded the ‘learning-by-doing’ into the entire MBA program. I worked with a group of five to work for a charity on a real-life consultancy project alongside his lectures. What I particularly appreciated was his teaching philosophy, especially the ‘Pull’ theory. Rather than simply ‘pushing’ information and delivering direct answers, he encouraged us to ‘pull’ knowledge from our prior learning and apply it to real-world consultancy projects. This approach not only deepened my understanding but also strengthened my ability to think critically and develop structured solutions.”
Raymond Xiang Zheng, Alliance Manchester

“It’s incredibly difficult to choose just one, but Professor Anirudh Dhebar has had a profound impact on me. More than a professor, he is a mentor, a philosopher, and a guide, always pushing us to think critically and deeply about the world. He has the ability to weave together business, ethics, leadership, and human behavior and his classes feel like an exploration into how we make sense of the world, not just in business but in life. The conversations with him don’t just end when class (or lunch) is over. Sometimes, it takes weeks to process a single insight he shares, but those moments have shaped the way I think about my career, purpose, and personal growth. I am grateful to have him as a professor. He has a trait that I fortunately discovered in my Babson professors throughout my journey: a genuine care for their students. That makes all the difference.”
Vitor Ungari, Babson College (Olin)

“My favorite course as an MBA student has been Brand Management Strategy with Professor Mike Bond. This class went beyond theory—we not only focused on how brands create value, build loyalty, and stay competitive in an ever-changing market, but we also talked about what makes a successful leader in brand management.

Professor Bond’s ability to bring branding strategy principles to real-life situations was very impactful for me. Through real-world case studies, engaging discussions, and a hands-on consulting project with a top Mondelēz brand like Chips Ahoy, he challenged us to think like brand managers, not just students.
Camila Costa, Brigham Young (Marriott)

“Professor Alan Montgomery in Marketing Analytics stood out not only for his expertise, but for the engaging and thought-provoking environment he created in the classroom. He made discussions dynamic, encouraging us to think critically, challenge assumptions, and apply analytics beyond just the numbers. His ability to simplify complex concepts while fostering meaningful conversations made learning both insightful and practical. One of the most valuable lessons was that data alone doesn’t change minds—people do. His teaching reinforced a critical leadership skill: data is only as powerful as your ability to make it actionable. This lesson will stay with me as I move into leadership roles, ensuring that insights are not only understood but drive meaningful decisions.”
Vinicius Santos Avelar, Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper)

“I am biased. I’ve had a double dose of Jason Heltzer, serving as one of his TAs after having taken his VC Lab course last year, but I think he represents the best of Booth. Both a Managing Partner at Origin Ventures and a Booth alumnus, Professor Heltzer is the definition of Booth’s pay-it-forward culture. He is deeply committed to guiding others along the path he’s taken and ensuring venture capital becomes more inclusive. This commitment even shapes how he communicates in the classroom—he thoughtfully avoids idioms that might confuse non-native speakers and encourages students to replace aggressive business metaphors with language that’s more welcoming. By emphasizing how small, intentional personal changes can significantly impact broader environments, he fosters a culture of accountability and thoughtful, personal growth that’s both refreshing and rare. Professor Heltzer leads with empathy and integrity, making him not just a great professor but also a mentor I’m lucky to learn from.”
Ilana Habib, University of Chicago (Booth)

“Professor Todd Jick, who taught my Organizational Change course—a hallmark of the CBS curriculum—has been a faculty member for over 30 years. His exceptional teaching style compels students to be fully engaged during our three weekly hours together. Professor Jick’s remarkable ability to recall student details, names, and incorporate humor creates a dynamic and enjoyable learning environment. Beyond being one of the most sought-after courses at CBS, consistently boasting waitlists exceeding 100 students, Professor Jick transforms a subject often perceived as “soft” or uninteresting into a captivating experience. He is, without a doubt, one of the most engaging lecturers I have encountered throughout my academic journey.

At the end of the course, Professor Jick hands out “superlatives” to his students. The awards usually relate to the topics and lessons from the case studies we’ve completed, but sometimes they’re just plain fun. Professor Jick’s decision to end the semester with this ritual is not only a fun way to remember your fellow classmates, but also a reminder that we are constantly building community. While you might not remember the name of the person who received the “Future C.E.O.” award, you might just remember that Professor Jick gave it to them.”
Natalie Friel, Columbia Business School

“Risa Mish was my favorite professor because she truly cares about her students. She’s more than just a great teacher, she’s a mentor who takes the time to challenge, support, and push us to be better. I remember my first interaction with her in her core Critical and Strategic Thinking class when I told her that my dog had passed that morning and asked her not to cold call me because I was a bit of an emotional wreck. She didn’t just acknowledge it, she showed real empathy and respect, which set the tone for how she leads. Whether it’s career advice, leadership lessons, or tough but necessary conversations (and we’ve had a lot of them!), she never hesitates to be honest and direct. She holds her students to a high standard, but always in a way that feels welcoming and constructive. Her impact goes beyond the classroom, shaping how we think, lead, and navigate our careers.”
Douglas Scandrett, Cornell University (Johnson)

“Professor Emily Blanchard sets the standard for teaching at a business school. A renowned scholar and practitioner, Professor Blanchard brought her experience abroad—and as a former Chief Economist at the State Department—to the classroom in Competition and Cooperation in the 21st Century Global Economy. She took deeply complex material and gave us a taste of how it might apply both on a firm business decision. I was mesmerized every class!”
Zoe Kaslow, Dartmouth College (Tuck)

“My favorite professor is Elia Ferracuti, who teaches Managerial Accounting. He made accounting engaging, practical, and fun, shifting my perspective from just numbers to decision-making as a future manager. His teaching style encouraged creativity—during our last class, he let us present concepts in a fun way, and my team performed a skit on activity-based costing while other teams wrote poems or rap songs. This experience not only solidified my learning but also made the subject memorable and applicable in the long run.”
Fern Imjairach, Duke University (Fuqua)

“Professor Mohan Venkatachalam’s core accounting class was the most delightful surprise in my MBA journey. He took a subject that could have been dull and turned it into a six-week comedy show, sprinkling in real-world examples that brought the material to life. Every session offered something unexpected, from offbeat anecdotes to spirited debates, and it completely shifted how I view financial statements. The lighthearted atmosphere encouraged me to dig deeper, even calling a company’s investor relations team about what looked like an inconsistency in their 10-K report.

Above all, Professor Venkatachalam showed me that it is possible to take work seriously without taking myself too seriously. His witty approach and encouragement of curiosity shaped how I wanted to learn and grow at Fuqua.”
Jack Prommel, Duke University (Fuqua)

Next Page: Faculty from INSEAD, London Business School, and MIT Sloan

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